Chapter 27
For an old lady who had just been caught kidnapping a defenseless girl, Eleanor Reese was exceedingly calm. But of course, she had been expecting them. They found her in the bedroom, sitting in a creaky antique chair beside the old, broken-down bed, placidly knitting. Susie lay sprawled upon the mattress, not moving.
“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Reese said cheerfully, “she’s alive. I mixed something into a bit of tea I brought with me to put her to sleep. Poor girl was quite thirsty after our fruitless search for her goat.”
Gwen started to cross the room, but the old lady held up a hand. “No closer, if you please.” The words were polite, but the tone was brittle and threatening.
Concordia watched in shock as the woman whipped out a pearl-handled derringer from her bag and put it agai
